on airs, waters, and places-第4章

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For　when；　the　winter　being　southerly　and　the　body　hot；　the　blood　and
veins　are　not　properly　constringed；　a　spring　that　is　northerly；　dry；
and　cold；　having　come　on；　the　brain　when　it　should　have　been
expanded　and　purged；　by　the　coryza　and　hoarseness　is　then
constringed　and　contracted；　so　that　the　summer　and　the　heat
occurring　suddenly；　and　a　change　supervening；　these　diseases　fall　out。
And　such　cities　as　lie　well　to　the　sun　and　winds；　and　use　good　waters；
feel　these　changes　less；　but　such　as　use　marshy　and　pooly　waters；
and　lie　well　both　as　regards　the　winds　and　the　sun；　these　all　feel
it　more。　And　if　the　summer　be　dry；　those　diseases　soon　cease；　but　if
rainy；　they　are　protracted；　and　there　is　danger　of　any　sore　that　there
is　becoming　phagedenic　from　any　cause；　and　lienteries　and　dropsies
supervene　at　the　conclusion　of　diseases；　for　the　bowels　are　not
readily　dried　up。　And　if　the　summer　be　rainy　and　southerly；　and　next
the　autumn；　the　winter　must；　of　necessity；　be　sickly；　and　ardent
fevers　are　likely　to　attack　those　that　are　phlegmatic；　and　more
elderly　than　forty　years；　and　pleurisies　and　peripneumonies　those　that
are　bilious。　But　if　the　summer　is　parched　and　northerly；　but　the
autumn　rainy　and　southerly；　headache　and　sphacelus　of　the　brain　are
likely　to　occur；　and　in　addition　hoarseness；　coryza；　coughs；　and　in
some　cases；　consumption。　But　if　the　season　is　northerly　and　without
water；　there　being　no　rain；　neither　after　the　Dogstar　nor　Arcturus；
this　state　agrees　best　with　those　who　are　naturally　phlegmatic；　with
those　who　are　of　a　humid　temperament；　and　with　women；　but　it　is　most
inimical　to　the　bilious；　for　they　become　much　parched　up；　and
ophthalmies　of　a　dry　nature　supervene；　fevers　both　acute　and
chronic；　and　in　some　cases　melancholy；　for　the　most　humid　and　watery
part　of　the　bile　being　consumed；　the　thickest　and　most　acrid　portion
is　left；　and　of　the　blood　likewise；　when　these　diseases　came　upon
them。　But　all　these　are　beneficial　to　the　phlegmatic；　for　they　are
thereby　dried　up；　and　reach　winter　not　oppressed　with　humors；　but　with
them　dried　up。
　　11。　Whoever　studies　and　observes　these　things　may　be　able　to　foresee
most　of　the　effects　which　will　result　from　the　changes　of　the　seasons；
and　one　ought　to　be　particularly　guarded　during　the　greatest　changes
of　the　seasons；　and　neither　willingly　give　medicines；　nor　apply　the
cautery　to　the　belly；　nor　make　incisions　there　until　ten　or　more
days　be　past。　Now；　the　greatest　and　most　dangerous　are　the　two
solstices；　and　especially　the　summer；　and　also　the　two　equinoxes；
but　especially　the　autumnal。　One　ought　also　to　be　guarded　about　the
rising　of　the　stars；　especially　of　the　Dogstar；　then　of　Arcturus；
and　then　the　setting　of　the　Pleiades；　for　diseases　are　especially
apt　to　prove　critical　in　those　days；　and　some　prove　fatal；　some　pass
off；　and　all　others　change　to　another　form　and　another　constitution。
So　it　is　with　regard　to　them。
　　12。　I　wish　to　show；　respecting　Asia　and　Europe；　how；　in　all
respects；　they　differ　from　one　another；　and　concerning　the　figure　of
the　inhabitants；　for　they　are　different；　and　do　not　at　all　resemble
one　another。　To　treat　of　all　would　be　a　long　story；　but　I　will　tell
you　how　I　think　it　is　with　regard　to　the　greatest　and　most　marked
differences。　I　say；　then；　that　Asia　differs　very　much　from　Europe　as
to　the　nature　of　all　things；　both　With　regard　to　the　productions　of
the　earth　and　the　inhabitants；　for　everything　is　produced　much　more
beautiful　and　large　in　Asia；　the　country　is　milder；　and　the
dispositions　of　the　inhabitants　also　are　more　gentle　and　affectionate。
The　cause　of　this　is　the　temperature　of　the　seasons；　because　it　lies
in　the　middle　of　the　risings　of　the　sun　towards　the　east；　and
removed　from　the　cold　（and　heat）；　for　nothing　tends　to　growth　and
mildness　so　much　as　when　the　climate　has　no　predominant　quality；　but　a
general　equality　of　temperature　prevails。　It　is　not　everywhere　the
same　with　regard　to　Asia；　but　such　parts　of　the　country　as　lie
intermediate　between　the　heat　and　the　cold；　are　the　best　supplied　with
fruits　and　trees；　and　have　the　most　genial　climate；　and　enjoy　the
purest　waters；　both　celestial　and　terrestrial。　For　neither　are　they
much　burnt　up　by　the　heat；　nor　dried　up　by　the　drought　and　want　of
rain；　nor　do　they　suffer　from　the　cold；　since　they　are　well　watered
from　abundant　showers　and　snow；　and　the　fruits　of　the　season；　as　might
be　supposed；　grow　in　abundance；　both　such　as　are　raised　from　seed　that
has　been　sown；　and　such　plants　as　the　earth　produces　of　its　own
accord；　the　fruits　of　which　the　inhabitants　make　use　of；　training　them
from　their　wild　state　and　transplanting　them　to　a　suitable　soil；　the
cattle　also　which　are　reared　there　are　vigorous；　particularly
prolific；　and　bring　up　young　of　the　fairest　description；　the
inhabitants　too；　are　well　fed；　most　beautiful　in　shape；　of　large
stature；　and　differ　little　from　one　another　either　as　to　figure　or
size；　and　the　country　itself；　both　as　regards　its　constitution　and
mildness　of　the　seasons；　may　be　said　to　bear　a　close　resemblance　to
the　spring。　Manly　courage；　endurance　of　suffering；　laborious
enterprise；　and　high　spirit；　could　not　be　produced　in　such　a　state
of　things　either　among　the　native　inhabitants　or　those　of　a
different　country；　for　there　pleasure　necessarily　reigns。　For　this
reason；　also；　the　forms　of　wild　beasts　there　are　much　varied。　Thus
it　is；　as　I　think；　with　the　Egyptians　and　Libyans。
　　13。　But　concerning　those　on　the　right　hand　of　the　summer　risings
of　the　sun　as　far　as　the　Palus　Maeotis　（for　this　is　the　boundary　of
Europe　and　Asia）；　it　is　with　them　as　follows：　the　inhabitants　there
differ　far　more　from　one　another　than　those　I　have　treated　of　above；
owing　to　the　differences　of　the　seasons　and　the　nature　of　the　soil。
But　with　regard　to　the　country　itself；　matters　are　the　same　there　as
among　all　other　men；　for　where　the　seasons　undergo　the　greatest　and
most　rapid　changes；　there　the　country　is　the　wildest　and　most　unequal；
and　you　will　find　the　greatest　variety　of　mountains；　forests；
plains；　and　meadows；　but　where　the　seasons　do　not　change　much　there
the　country　is　the　most　even；　and；　if　one　will　consider　it；　so　is　it
also　with　regard　to　the　inhabitants；　for　the　nature　of　some　is　like　to
a　country　covered　with　trees　and　well　watered；　of　some；　to　a　thin　soil
deficient　in　water；　of　others；　to　fenny　and　marshy　places；　and　of　some
again；　to　a　plain　of　bare　and　parched　land。　For　the　seasons　which
modify　their　natural　frame　of　body　are　varied；　and　the　greater　the
varieties　of　them　the　greater　also　will　be　the　differences　of　their
shapes。
　　14。　I　will　pass　over　the　smaller　differences　among　the　nations；
but　will　now　treat　of　such　as　are　great　either　from　nature；　or　custom；
and；　first；　concerning　the　Macrocephali。　There　is　no　other　race　of　men
which　have　heads　in　the　least　resembling　theirs。　At　first；　usage　was
the　principal　cause　of　the　length　of　their　head；　but　now　nature
cooperates　with　usage。　They　think　those　the　most　noble　who　have　the
longest　heads。　It　is　thus　with　regard　to　the　usage：　immediately
after　the　child　is　born；　and　while　its　head　is　still　tender；　they
fashion　it　with　their　hands；　and　constrain　it　to　assume　a　lengthened
shape　by　applying　bandages　and　other　suitable　contrivances　whereby　the
spherical　form　of　the　head　is　destroyed；　and　it　is　made　to　increase　in
length。　Thus；　at　first；　usage　operated；　so　that　this　constitution
was　the　result　of　force：　but；　in　the　course　of　time；　it　was　formed
naturally；　so　that　usage　had　nothing　to　do　with　it；　for　the　semen
comes　from　all　parts　of　the　body；　sound　from　the　sound　parts；　and
unhealthy　from　the　unhealthy　parts。　If；　then；　children　with　bald　heads
are　born　to　parents　with　bald　heads；　and　children　with　blue　eves　to
parents　who　have　blue　eyes；　and　if　the　children　of　parents　having
distorted　eyes　squint　also　for　the　most　part；　and　if　the　same　may　be
said　of　other　forms　of　the　body；　what　is　to　prevent　it　from
happening　that　a　child　with　a　long　head　should　be　produced　by　a　parent
having　a　long　head？　But　now　these　things　do　not　happen　as　they　did
formerly；　for　the　custom　no　longer　prevails　owing　to　their　intercours